Japanese anime studio. They are a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings.

One of Japan's top animation studios, best known for their Gundam franchise and other major series (InuYasha, My-HiME), as well as for smaller-scale but highly popular series like Cowboy Bebop and The Big O.

History

Originally founded as Sotsueisha in September of 1972 by refugees from the collapse of Mushi Porduction, it was later rebranded as Nippon Sunrise in 1977 and Sunrise in 1987. Sunrise is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Ltd. since 1994 and is renowned primarily for Gundam as well as other series. Its most recent major hits are Gundam 00 and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. It has also worked on numerous other giant-robot shows, as well as Dirty Pair, City Hunter, Outlaw Star, and Mai-Hime. It continues to refashion and update the "real robot" tradition, with more recent shows such as Gasaraki.

Many popular producers, directors, and writers have worked at Sunrise, including the founders of Studios Deen, BONES, and Manglobe; directors Gorou Taniguchi and Shinichirou Watanabe, mech designer Shouji Kawamori, and writers Chiaki Konaka, Keiko Nobumoto, Ichirou Oukouchi, and Hiroyuki Yoshino.

The company's most famous "employee" is the nonexistent Hajime Yatate/Yadate, a house pseudonym credited as a creator on various works to ensure that the company owns the intellectual property it generates.